Whenever I have a feeling that another acting job is coming along I always remember back to a day when I went to an audition for a beer commercial. When I got there, everything was fine until one of the casting directors said, "So what happened to your beard?"
I knew from that comment that I hadn't got the job.
It seems that having a beard and knowing how to maintain it is becoming a new weapon in an actor's arsenal. So, even if I'm not working on a current production, my beard is always ready for action. It’s helped me to achieve two roles so far this year. The list that follows details the good points of having a well-groomed beard.
- According to some ladies I asked, they are ‘sexy as hell’. It seems that a well-kept beard turns women on. Of course it has to match a well-dressed body (and throw in some tattoos for a winning formula).
- Some women also said they feel more secure with a man with a beard: ‘he is a protector and a provider, a man who will take charge’.
- According to other women it feels nice to the touch when it has reached its smooth phase and bypassed the prickly growth stage. One woman said his beard makes her man feel like a ‘cuddly pussy cat’.
- A beard was a symbol of status and wealth in the ancient times, the mark of a King. It has returned again in our era to provide a much needed boost to men's self-esteem. The beard is a mark of a man who is allowed to follow his heart. A long time ago, men weren't allowed to wear beards in battle in case it was used against him.
I asked some people a few questions about beards to find out what it means to them:
What do you like about beards?
I like beards because they feel nice and make people look like lumberjacks.
What's the best compliment your beard has received?
That's one powerful beard.
What inspires you about your beard?
The beard is an interpretation of man’s tendency to be lazy and primal. I keep my beard because it looks good on me.
What differences do you notice when you have a beard to when you don't?
I feel more confident with a beard, because it frames my face nicely, I get more female attention, and I can wear leather braces with anything and they still make sense."
How does not being able to grow a beard feel?
I've tried to grow a beard in the past, but it doesn't grow properly. And besides, it would be too much combined with my hair, as it’s long, I'd look like an animal.
What's the sexiest thing about beards?
The man who is wearing it. If the man is sexy, then the beard will follow in sexiness.
What do you like about beards?
Depends on who it is. Generally I like the look, but beards have become a fashion statement, neither good nor bad for me.
Judging from a lot of the answers I received, I would have to say that the beard is man’s God-given tool to use and abuse. It seems that is just a small piece of what makes the man. But, in truth, I think growing a beard is a good start to building a better man. A man who cares for his loved ones is a sign of a man of our times, rather than a fashion statement or a cuddlier version of a boyfriend. It is about a man who commands respect and finds the truth in himself to be the best man he can be, and if a bit of man hair on his face empowers him then who are we to judge?